Medicare, Medicaid, & Social Security | Charts

Social Security Running a Permanent Cash-flow Deficit

Veronique de Rugy | Apr 09, 2013
Spending on Social Security is now at untenable levels, as this chart, using annual data from the Social Security Administration (SSA) 2012 Trustees Report, illustrates.

Participation in Major Antipoverty Programs Since the Financial Crisis

Veronique de Rugy | Apr 02, 2013
This chart shows the average monthly enrollment for three major antipoverty programs: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), better known as food stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Medicaid.

Ryan Budget Grows Spending at a Slower Rate, But Still Grows Spending

Veronique de Rugy | Mar 13, 2013
Mercatus Center senior research fellow Veronique de Rugy outlines the shortcomings of the Ryan Plan here. These charts examine how the Ryan Plan measures up to the Congressional Budget Office’s most recent budget outlook for FY 2013 to FY 2023.

Projected Deficits in CBO’s 2013 Budget and Economic Outlook

Veronique de Rugy | Feb 11, 2013
On February 5, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its Budget and Economic Outlook for fiscal years 2013 to 2023. While the report might suggest the US economy and federal budget are on the road to recovery, such an assessment would be shortsighted.

More Americans Dependent on Disability, Longer

Veronique de Rugy | Oct 01, 2012
Beneficiaries continue to receive awards as long as they remain disabled or until they reach the full retirement age. The data show, however, that less than 10 percent of individuals leave the disability rolls by returning to work or medical improvement. Most beneficiaries simply convert automatically to retirement benefits at the federal retirement age.

Medicare Costs Expected to Double by 2040

Veronique de Rugy | Sep 04, 2012
Money-saving proposals through Medicare reform are a significant issue for the upcoming election. This chart re-examines Medicare costs over time using the most recent data from the 2012 Trustees Report and Congressional Budget Office. Between 1975 and 2011, the number of Medicare enrollees doubled to 48 million, and the real cost per enrollee quintupled.

How Many Workers Support One Social Security Retiree?

Veronique de Rugy | May 22, 2012
With the Social Security Trust Fund exhausting faster than expected, another obstacle to the sustainability of the program is rearing its head: Social Security benefits rest on fewer and fewer taxpayers. This week's chart by Mercatus senior research fellow Veronique de Rugy uses data from the 2012 Social Security Trustees Report to show the number of workers that need to contribute to the system to ensure the benefits for one retiree.

Social Security Trust Fund Exhausting Faster Than Expected

Veronique de Rugy | Apr 30, 2012
According to the latest Social Security Trustee Report released last week, the Social Security trust fund will likely be exhausted by 2033—that’s 3 years earlier than last year’s projection and more than 20 years earlier than projections made in 1990.

Projected Spending from House Republican and White House Budget Plans

Veronique de Rugy | Mar 26, 2012
Modest adjustments that reduce spending on entitlements do not touch the core of the issue. Real fiscal reform requires deep cuts across the board to all programs and activities that are better managed by state and local entities and by the private sector.

Health Care Price Changes and Per Capita Growth in Medicare

Veronique de Rugy | Mar 12, 2012
This week, Mercatus Center senior research fellow Veronique de Rugy examines the growth trends in health care in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) against the average inflation rate of all consumer prices and per capita Medicare spending.